About

The Looking Glass: A Holographic Display for 3D Creators

$844,621

pledged of $50,000 goal

1,301

backers

The Looking Glass - a new type of holographic display - is now available in very limited quantity.

Designed by and for 3D creators.

Over the past four years, our team of holographers, optical/mechanical/electrical engineers, Unity devs and 3D graphic artists have been working to create the magic that is the Looking Glass - a unique holographic display that uses a combination of lightfield and volumetric technologies.

Now for the first time, groups of people can see and interact with a virtual three-dimensional world on their desk, unaided by VR or AR headsets. And we’ve created a number of tools to enable 3D creators to easily bring their work to life in the Looking Glass.

The Looking Glass is designed by and for 3D creators and we’ve created a number of tools to enable 3D creators to easily bring their work to life in the Looking Glass.

All of the Looking Glass apps shown on this page and our website were made using our HoloPlay Unity SDK. As a backer, you will get access to this SDK so that you can create interactive holographic apps of your own.

3D model and animations in OBJ, FBX, STL and gLTF format can be imported into the Looking Glass with a couple clicks using the Model and Animation Importer App.

Dozens of holographic apps are available for free download using the App Library, included with every Looking Glass shipment. These include volumetric video clips, holographic film shorts, lightfield and 3D scan viewer apps, new types of holographic games, virtual pets, CT-scan/DICOM importers, a WYSIWYG 3D model previewer for 3D printing, and much more. By the end of the year, creators will also be able to share their own apps via the Library with Looking Glass owners around the world.

An exporter directly from Maya will also available for free download, with live viewports from Maya, Zbrush, Blender, Tinkercad, and Solidworks in development, to be made available for free to all Looking Glass backers.

This may look like an object, but it's just light. Klein Bottle by Dizingof.

Groups of people can use the Looking Glass - no headset required.

Here are extensive reviews, links, and stories about the Looking Glass since we launched July 24, 2018:

Business Insider - "In person, a Looking Glass is a moving, living 3D image that you can't take your eyes off of."

Quartz - If you’ve ever wished you could recreate the iconic scene in Star Wars, where Luke Skywalker discovers a holographic message of Princess Leia, pretty much kicking off the entire franchise, you can now get a lot closer to that dream."

Create more quickly by utilizing the three-dimensional spatialized scene of a Looking Glass.

Work with tools you already know (Maya, Blender, Solidworks, Z-Brush, AutoCAD, Cinema4D, etc,) and export in familiar formats either directly through the 3D Model and Animation Importer or as an imported asset into a Unity scene.

Explore a new way of sharing your work with others. Where previously you only could share your work on a 2D screen, the Looking Glass allows you a new canvas to let your 3D creations be appreciated for all their dimensional glory.

Get an advanced look at how your 3D designs will look and feel. Share these designs with your team in real time, speeding up the feedback and iteration process.

“Do it right the first time” - experience your creations with 3D accuracy before creating prototypes. This will save you time and money.

Give clients a more realistic sense of your aesthetic features, such as wall color, lighting, and even furniture placement in a truly spatial display.

Enhance client presentations and engagement with the ability to transform, scale, rotate and manipulate a three-dimensional scene in real-time.

Embrace the difference of 3D. Studies show that across all age groups and subjects, student recall is much stronger when curriculum leverages three-dimensional content. 3D is just more real and therefore more engaging.

Create full-on ‘3D classrooms’ without the needing 3D glasses or VR/AR headgear — products that often require huge upfront investment. With the Looking Glass, multiple students can interact with one system.

Up your school's digital game. Digital fabrication and ‘3D Making’ are quickly making their way into school curriculum as 3D authoring tools like Tinkercad and Sketchup become more accessible. However, 3D printers are often expensive to maintain and operate and it takes a long time produce a full print. The Looking Glass affords students the gratification of viewing their complex 3D models, designs and structures as they are creating and before they commit to a physical 3D print.

Help create the future of 3D. There's no limit how you might use a Looking Glass.

We’ve been experimenting endlessly with new ways to get live content into the Looking Glass by way of: photogrammetry, experimental lightfield capture, iPhone X depth mapping, and more!

And we're really into the next leap in capturing and sharing 3D memories. We recognize that a large part of the next interface shift will center around capturing, storing, sharing, and moving 3D assets across networks. We're already working with early partners on this, and we're excited to become THE place to display all your 3D memories.

The Looking Glass is a patent-pending combination of lightfield and volumetric display technologies within a single new type of display that brings virtual 3D content to life in full-color at up to 60fps.

The Looking Glass generates 45 distinct views of a three-dimensional scene so that multiple people standing around a Looking Glass can see different parts of the scene in the real world.

See How it Works

You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.

Replay with sound

Play with sound

00:00

00:00

As you move around the Looking Glass, your eyes are exposed to different sets of 3D information, creating a living 3D experience for multiple people at the same time. While VR headsets produce two stereoscopic views of a three-dimensional scene, that scene can only be experienced by one person at a time. The Looking Glass, by comparison, generates 45 views of a three-dimensional world, allowing content that lives in a Looking Glass to be viewed and interacted with by multiple people at once.

The Looking Glass ships with:

USB-C Power Cable

HDMI Cable

The Looking Glass supports various hardware configurations including the MacBook Pro "Core i5" 2.7. However for best viewing experience we recommend the following specifications:

Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit

CPU: Equivalent to Intel Core i5 or above

Graphics card*: Equivalent to Nvidia GTX 1060 or above

RAM: 4GB or above

Internal storage: 128GB or above

(*The Looking Glass only works with graphics cards that are able to output 2560 x 1600 or above.)

1 -HoloPlay SDK

Artwork by Nobuaki Fukui (ZBrush Illustrator, Tokyo)

Our free and already available HoloPlay SDK for Unity allows you to bring all your 3D virtual worlds to life inside of a Looking Glass. If you're curious to see how to get started right away (even without a Looking Glass in hand,) check out our HoloPlay SDK Tutorial here.

2 - 3D Model and Animation Importer

Bread (gLTF) by Francesco Coldesina (via Sketchfab)

The Model Importer allows you to easily view 3D models on your Looking Glass. In the early beta release of the application, only gLTF, OBJ and glb file formats are accepted but more are coming soon!

The Model Importer uses a special type of control to allow you to view your model from different perspectives in 3D. You can rotate around your model by left clicking and dragging. You can pan around the scene by right clicking and dragging, and you can zoom in by scrolling.

If you're just getting started and want to start exploring a world of 3D content, we highly recommend using Sketchfab as they have one of the biggest repositories of glTF files, so you can have access to a huge library of 3D models as you learn to make your own!

3 - Holographic App Library

Starry Night Diorama Tilt Brush by george peaslee via Sketchfab

The Looking Glass will launch with a free App Library which will be a Window PC/MAC executable that manages content for your Looking Glass. With the Library, you'll be able to browse, download and play holographic content inside your Looking Glass with a single click.

At launch, the App Library will include about three dozen holographic applications that the Looking Glass Factory have developed as a small sample of created for you to experience inside a Looking Glass. We expect this to grow to hundreds of applications!

Jellyfish application created by Maria Mishurenko and Gordy Chernyy

Connect 2 Looking Glasses together!

The Looking Glass won the AWEsome Award at the Augmented World Expo 2018 this past June and an earlier iteration of the technology was a 2018 finalist at the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards ‘SciFi No Longer’ category.

Blue Whale by Bohdan Lvov via Sketchfab

Circa 2015 with our very first volumetric display prototype!

Assembling the very first Looking Glass to early beta partners and artist superfriends!

Looking Glass Factory is a team of inventors, engineers, game devs, artists and candlestick makers. Together, we're realizing the cinematic dream of the hologram we were all promised in Star Wars, Big Hero 6, Minority Report and Iron Man.

We're headquartered in a restored glass factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with our very own R&D hardware team based inside an old industrial building in Hong Kong. Curious to come see for yourself? Say hello future@lookingglassfactory.com

Risks and challenges

As with all new technologies, particularly when they involve new hardware, there are considerable risks in bringing a new invention like the Looking Glass from the lab into the world.

Our previous experience designing, producing, and shipping thousands of units of early generation volumetric displays and specialized interactive lightfield dev kits over the past four years makes us better prepared to do this than the average startup. We also have offices both in Brooklyn, NY for software development and a lab in Hong Kong for hardware prototyping and short-run production -- with that proximity to our manufacturer in mainland China further reducing the risks of missed timing on shipments.

We've also produced around 100 early beta Looking Glasses over the past few months. This has let us work out most of the bugs in the Looking Glass in advance to a greater degree than is typical.

On the financing side of things, we are backed by the same investors that backed Formlabs, Makerbot, Sphero, Occipital (creators of the Structure Sensor), giving us the funds that we need to ensure all orders in this launch are fulfilled.

That all said, our familiarity with producing hardware makes us respectful of the ever-present possibility of unpleasant surprises, either in supply chain availability of a critical component or the delay of an unexpected certification for a particular country. Our error in these areas could result in delays.

Our target is to ship the Rush Beta Looking Glasses by the end of September and to ship the regular orders by mid-December this year. We are obsessed with hitting this deadline but will let you know if anything changes for any reason.

All of us in Looking Glass Factory have been working towards this moment for the past four years and we're so excited to get Looking Glasses onto the desks of all the 3D creators of the world.

Support

Select this reward

Pledge US$ 10 or more
About US$ 10

Friend of the Hologram!

Thanks for believing in the future! In this tier, you will receive a special ‘WELCOME TO THE FUTURE’" pack shipped to your doorstep, including a hologram sticker pack and a limited edition poster! Also get access to all private backer updates!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 399 or more
About US$ 399

Day One Special - Standard Looking Glass

DAY ONE SPECIAL:
Receive a standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3D content. This is for our earliest backers on Day 1! This normally lists for $600. This special pricing lets you save $201 off for 24 hours only.

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Unlimited quantity in the first 24 hours. Includes free shipping in the US!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 399 or more
About US$ 399

The Sloth Special (NEW!)

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Soooooo, your slow-ness has finally paid off. You missed the Day 1 and Day 2 specials, but now you can get the Standard Looking Glass for nearly the same super-reduced price but with a slightly slower delivery date (2 months later.) All sloths welcome.

Receive a standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $600. This special pricing lets you save $201 for a limited time only. Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack.

Shipping and handling calculated separately at checkout. This tier ships at a slightly lower cost and slower shipping speed for all countries.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 400 or more
About US$ 400

Day Two Special - Standard Looking Glass

BY POPULAR DEMAND, WE'VE EXTENDED THE SPECIAL PRICING AND FREE SHIPPING (IN THE US) FOR AN EXTRA DAY!

DAY TWO SPECIAL:
Receive a standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3D content. This is for our earliest backers on Day 1! This normally lists for $600. This special pricing lets you save $200 off for an extra 24 hours!

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 450 or more
About US$ 450

Super Early Bird-Standard Looking Glass

SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL:
Receive a standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $600. This special pricing lets you save $150 for a limited time only.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 498 or more
About US$ 498

Day One Special - Interaction Bundle

This includes the Day One Special standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $699. This special pricing lets you save $201 off for 24 hours only.

Also included in this is the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth.

Free shipping to the US! Worldwide shipping and handling calculated separately at checkout.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 499 or more
About US$ 499

Day Two Special - Interaction Bundle

This includes the Day Two Special standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $600. This special pricing lets you save $200 off for 24 hours only.

Also included in this is the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth.

Free shipping to the US! Worldwide shipping and handling calculated separately at checkout.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 549 or more
About US$ 549

Super Early Bird-Interaction Bundle

Receive a Standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $699. This special pricing lets you save $150 for a limited time only.

Also included in this is the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 798 or more
About US$ 798

Standard Looking Glass - 2 Pack Bundle

Receive TWO standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. Get the lowest pricing possible for the Standard Looking Glass by getting this two-pack. Save 33%.

Pledge an additional $198 to receive two of the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 999 or more
About US$ 999

Advance Beta - Standard Looking Glass

RUSH EARLY BIRD SPECIAL:
Be in the first batch to receive a standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. You'll be getting the system before anyone else in the world.

These systems are identical to the production units, but ship 3 months earlier.

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 1,596 or more
About US$ 1,596

Standard Looking Glass - 4 Pack Bundle

Receive FOUR standard (8.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. Get the lowest pricing possible for the Standard Looking Glass by getting this four-pack. Save 33%.

Pledge an additional $396 to receive four of the Interaction Accessory Packs which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 1,999 or more
About US$ 1,999

Day One Special - Large Looking Glass

DAY ONE SPECIALL:
Receive a large (15.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This is for our earliest backers on Day 1! This normally lists for $3,000. This special pricing lets you save $1,001 off for 24 hours only.

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 2,500 or more
About US$ 2,500

Super Early Bird - Large Looking Glass

SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL:
Receive a large (15.9") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $3,000. This special pricing lets you save $500 off for a limited time only!

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 2,950 or more
About US$ 2,950

SUPER EARLY BIRD BUNDLE

SUPER EARLY BIRD BUNDLE:
Receive ONE Standard (8.9") size Looking Glass and ONE Large (15.6") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. This normally lists for $3600. This special pricing lets you save $650 for a limited time only.

Pledge an additional $198 to receive two of the Interaction Accessory Pack which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 3,998 or more
About US$ 3,998

Large Looking Glass - 2 Pack Bundle

Receive TWO large (15.6") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3D content. Get the lowest pricing possible for the Large Looking Glass by getting this two-pack. Save 33%.

Pledge an additional $198 to receive two of the Interaction Accessory Packs which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 4,999 or more
About US$ 4,999

Advance Beta - Large Looking Glass

Be in the first batch to receive a large (15.6") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. You'll be getting the system before anyone else in the world, extremely limited number available.

Pledge an additional $99 to receive the Interaction Accessory Packs which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

These systems are identical to the production units, but ship 3 months earlier

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 7,996 or more
About US$ 7,996

Large Looking Glass - 4 Pack Bundle

Receive FOUR large (15.6") size Looking Glass along with the HoloPlay SDK for Unity, and the App Library to open up a world of 3-D content. Get the lowest pricing possible for the Large Looking Glass by getting this four-pack. Save 33%.

Pledge an additional $396 to receive four of the Interaction Accessory Packs which includes a Leap Motion Controller, a special carrying case and microfiber cloth with your pre-order.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 10,000
About US$ 10,000

Visit the Factory

Get your Looking Glasses 3-months before regular shipping and enjoy an evening of conversation about invention, startups, and the hologram with the founders, the engineering and 3D design team, and a special guest at our Greenpoint, Brooklyn lab. Includes a dinner between all of us at the Glasserie restaurant attached to the glass factory we are in as well.

You can pick up your Looking Glasses at the lab. No additional shipping charge.